Friday, July 5, 2013

To celebrate my Independence day I didn't fight aliens, go to the movies , BBQ or watch any fireworks, instead I cruised around the Brandywine area hunting painting spots and eventually setting up to paint until the sun drove me back inside and back home. I scouted around for a good while driving the back roads around the Brandywine area off of Route 100 and Route 92. I found so many awesome spots to paint- however so often they were on roads where there was no parking spot, no place to stop and set up to paint. A few spots I found the state troops cleared me off and said I couldn't park there. I think being on a motorcycle would be a great thing to have for spots like this--but I don't trust driving motorcycle--they are too deadly around these parts.

The good thing is even thought there were a lot of spots I couldn't stop I took about 400 photos I can work with and noted spots I can go back to. It was hot for sure and the air conditioning in my car needs a recharge, so it was a hot ride in spots. but driving down these small winding roads there was a nice cool breeze in the shade. Eventually I stumbled upon Delaware State Park and drove in there and found a spot to paint. the trouble was there was no shade. So I put on some sun screen and my new hat that I grabbed at target, which is great for painting in the sun. i really need to get an umbrella for painting and I guess that will be my next purchase.

I knew I'd last maybe 90 minutes tops in the sun with the heat just beating on me, so iIworked fast and snapped pics as I knew I'd be finishing this in the studio.

This was my start and below I snapped another process shot. My eyes kept filling with sweat and it was hard after a while to judge the values a bit. I did take a break and sit back in the shade on the car for a spell to give my eyes a rest.

I got things blocked in in around an hour or less and called it quits. But I got what I wanted which was my eyes and my sense of the space, colors, atmosphere. I snapped a few more pics and headed back home.

After a shower a siesta and some dinner I worked from the pictures I snapped and finished up the painting in about 3 hours. It was one of the best 4th of July's I have ever had!

The Philadelphia Plein Air Painters

We are a group of local painters in the Philadelphia area who are drawn together through our love of painting in the Plein Air tradition out and about in the greater Philly and North East Corridor. Urban, suburban, seaside or country--everything is a subject for our brushes and palettes.